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Chapter 26
Mrs. Bingley walked solemnly into the breakfast room relying on her walking cane more than usual. The events of the past evening had left her weak and exhausted. She had meant to rise earlier, but just didn't have the energy. She greeted everyone with a smile and took a seat next to Bingley. Frowning slightly, she noticed that Caroline had not come down yet.
"Is Caroline still to her bed?" Mrs. Bingley inquired after her son.
"I believe so. Perhaps I should send her maid in to wake her?"
His mother nodded and he rang the bell for the housekeeper, who promptly presented herself at the door.
"Would you please have Miss Bingley's maid wake her and send her down immediately? Oh, and do thank the servants who cleaned up my study."
"I will send her up straight away, sir," the housekeeper replied, "But your study was already cleaned when it was checked on early this morning. None of the servants claim to have done it." She quickly curtsied and went to fetch Caroline's maid.
Puzzled looks bounced around the table. "Maybe your sister had enough sense left to clean up after herself," Mrs. Bingley ventured.
Several minutes later they heard running down the stairs and a commotion in the hall. The housekeeper and Caroline's chambermaid, both out of breath, rushed into the room.
"Beggin' yer pardon, master, but Miss Bingley is not in her room."
"What!" cried Bingley.
The young girl spoke up. "I entered her room and drew back the drapes before approaching the bed. I called to her to awake, but got no answer. Fearing the worst I went to pull back the covers and found only pillows. I checked her toilette and armoire and her clothes are missing as well."
Mrs. Bingley groaned. I should have known something like this would happen.
A third servant entered the breakfast room. He was one of Bingley's footmen. "Sir, one of the carriages is gone and we cannot locate one of the drivers - a Mr. Roger Langley. No one has seen or spoken to him at all today."
Bingley quickly thanked and dismissed his servants. Colonel Fitzwilliam was the first to break the silence. "I believe she has gone to Lady Catherine. She is the only ally she has left."
Caroline Bingley followed the stiff butler down the hall and through a set of large double doors. Having traveled half the night and into the afternoon, she was tired and hungry, but she couldn't rest just yet. She heard voices coming from with the first room on the left.
"Mr. Collins, how could you allow your wife to go gallivanting off to Hertfordshire! You know she is probably scheming with that Bennet chit to bring down my nephew. They are good friends you know!"
"I do humbly apologize, your ladyship, but Mrs. Collins expressed her wished to see her old neighborhood and she was not yet ready to part with her dear family."
Lady Catherine slammed her cane once to emphasize her point. "You need to be more controlling! You are the head of the household, if she cannot respect that position and listen to you then I will teach her myself to obey."
The door opened and the butler announced the arrival of Caroline. "Lady Catherine; Mr. Collins," she greeted the occupants.
The old lady smiled. "Miss Bingley, what a pleasant surprise. Do sit down," she said graciously, "Mr. Collins you are dismissed."
"Yes, your ladyship." He awkwardly backed toward the door, bowing to both his patroness and Miss Bingley. He nearly destroyed one of Lady Catherine's prized vases in the process.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Miss Bingley?"
"You ladyship, when was the last time you spoke to Mr. Darcy?"
"Not since London, pray?" Lady Catherine leaned in closer.
Caroline took a deep breath. "At my brother's engagement party Mr. Bennet, the patriarch of the Bennet girls, claimed that another daughter is to be married; Miss Eliza."
"Pray, to whom?"
"To your nephew, Mr. Darcy."
Lady Catherine's brow began to twitch rapidly and her mouth curled into an almost animalistic snarl. She responded in a low, guttural voice. "Engaged? To my nephew? Impossible!"
"It is true. I saw them together after the announcement was made. Arm in arm, they accepted the congratulations of the whole neighborhood including my own family. I quit the room entirely, I was so disgusted."
"He is daft! Proposing to such a girl! He needs a wife with good breeding and excellent connections. Someone who knows how to handle such a fine estate as Pemberley."
Caroline listened with interest, perking up at each quality Lady Catherine listed. She considered each of them to present in herself and was convinced the elder woman was referring to her.
"I look at you, Miss Bingley, and I see my former self. A woman who knows what is expected of her and who knows what she deserves. I like you, my dear. Darcy needs a woman like that. Not some fortune hunting, headstrong girl! And do you know who that woman should be?"
Me! "No, your ladyship," she replied, trying hard to contain her excitement.
Lady Catherine drew herself up to full height. "That woman is my Anne."
Caroline nearly fainted. What! That sickly, poor excuse for a woman that you call daughter? "Your own lovely daughter?"
"Exactly. That is why my dear sister and I planned their union while they were children. We knew it to be a perfect match. Now, he has turned his back on his own sweet mother!"
All Caroline could do was smile and nod. Bloody hell, this is complicated!
The whole time, Anne de Burgh stood listening outside one of the other doors leading to the room. She had snuck down after Mrs. Jenkinson fell asleep. Seeing Miss Bingley piqued her curiosity. Anne was overjoyed that Darcy had proposed to Elizabeth. She knew from the moment her mother told her she would marry her cousin that it could never take place. He felt too much like a brother and besides that she wanted to marry for love. A thought that had never occurred to her mother. Anne was becoming angrier with her more everyday. First she embarrassed her by bursting into Lady Abigail's home. Then when Anne tried to stand up to her mother and defend her new cousin, she was confined to her chambers and locked in like an animal! Now she thinks she can control who Darcy marries. Even though Miss Elizabeth was not a close friend of hers, she respected her and wanted to become more acquainted. She heard movement from within the room and quickly ran upstairs to her room.
Leaning against her chamber doors, she panted and held her side which ached. She thought she would faint dead away from the exertion of running, but she didn't. Aside from being out of breath, I'm fine! A wave of hope and excitement washed over her. For the past couple of weeks she had not taken the medication her mother always insisted she take. She only pretended. Now she was getting stronger and once she felt strong enough she would surprise her mother and her entire family. No more sickly little Anne.
Lady Catherine saw her guest to the door. "Pray, Miss Bingley, where are you staying?"
Good question, she thought. "I have not settled anywhere yet. I came as soon as I could to tell you of your nephew."
"Good God, my dear, you must be famished. I insist upon you staying here at Rosings. You are my particular friend and I would greatly appreciate your company."
Caroline smiled and consented to the plan. Her trunks were brought in and Lady Catherine instructed the housekeeper to prepare a room for her guest.
Anne heard her mother's loud voice proclaim that Miss Bingley was to stay with them and she groaned. Carefully she opened the door and quietly entered the outer room of her bedchambers. Tiptoeing past the snoring figure of her companion, she reached her bedroom door without making a sound. Once safely inside, she sat down at her desk and began to compose a letter to her cousin Darcy.
Dear Cousin,
You are probably wondering why you are receiving a missive from me of all people, but I needed to tell you something. Miss Bingley arrived today and told Mother of your engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. First let me say that I am very happy for you both and give my sincere congratulations to your intended. I like her very much and you are well suited to each other. Miss Bingley is to remain at Rosings. Of course Mother was furious to hear that you proposed to Miss Bennet.
I met Lady Abigail when Mother decided to lay siege upon her house. She looks just like my aunt and there is enough of your father in her that I couldn't deny she was a Darcy. I hope to see her, you and sweet Georgiana soon. Send my young cousin my love.
I must close this letter now. Everyone thinks I am resting and until we meet again, cousin, I will keep you informed of what is happening here.
Love,
Anne de Burgh
She neatly folded and sealed the letter. As she was writing the direction a thought struck her. How am I to send this without Mother knowing? She needed a messenger she could trust. But who?
About the same time that Caroline arrived at Rosings, her mother sat under a tree in a garden at Netherfield with Georgiana. They watched as Lady Abigail and Colonel Fitzwilliam entertained her young daughter. The colonel was at present chasing the girl around the rosebushes, all the while her poor mother shouting at the both of them to stop running.
"Margaret, I do not want to see one bit of dirt or grass on your dress!" The gentleman and the little girl both responded by sticking out their tongues. Lady Abigail rolled her eyes and shot him a nasty look. "And you, Colonel, I shall hold responsible if she does. You will be washing her clothes, not the servants!"
"Yes, General!" Fitzwilliam stood at attention and gave a mock salute.
Mrs. Bingley and Georgiana were beside themselves with laughter. The older lady suddenly looked forward to the day when she would be blessed with grandchildren. Georgiana silently observed her sister and cousin. She hadn't really noticed their attraction until now. Judging from their behavior together one would never have guessed that they had only known the other for less than a month. Lady Abigail joined the ladies under the tree, situating herself next to her sibling. Georgiana giggled at her.
"Well I mean it," Abigail said, trying desperately to keep a straight face, "He'll be doing the laundry!" This got the women going again and Abigail joined them. Fitzwilliam trotted over holding Margaret's small hand.
"Maggie and I are going to explore more of Bingley's estate. If that is alright with you, of course, m'lady?"
As if I could easily tell those eyes of yours no, she thought. "Yes, but remember not one bit of dirt or grass!" Both the colonel and Margaret saluted her before heading into a crop of trees.
"The dear colonel is very good with your youngster. I have no doubt that he will make an excellent father someday," remarked Mrs. Bingley.
The Darcy sisters mumbled their agreement. Abigail was too busy gazing at the spot where Fitzwilliam had disappeared into the trees and Georgiana was too busy watching Abigail. Now that Lizzy and William are finally together, she thought, perhaps I should help another Darcy find their love. Mrs. Bingley spoke again.
"Well, girls, I am going inside. I haven't spoken to Louisa much and I need to." They offered to help her inside, but she laughed them away. "I'm old, but I'm not that old!"
Finally alone, Georgiana could ascertain Abigail's feelings toward their cousin. "You like Richard, right Abby?" she asked innocently.
"Of course I do, he is family."
"That's not what I meant."
Abigail seemed to come out of her daze. "Then what do you mean, sister?"
"What do you think of him as a man?" Abigail blushed and gawked at her sister. Georgiana continued her interrogation. "Come on Abby, you can tell me the truth. I know his feelings. They are plain as day, but yours are harder to decipher."
Abigail sighed. It would be nice to talk to someone else about it, she thought. She had no confidante while she was growing up so learned to keep everything to herself. "Very well," she resigned, "Truth be told, I am confused. I am torn between my attraction to Richard and my loyalty to Edward."
"Tell me about your late husband. How did you meet?"
Abigail stared at the blue sky and watched the clouds. "It was an arranged marriage brought on by our parents who wished to make a fortunate alliance. When I was fifteen my mother told me I was betrothed to a man three years older whom I had never met. About a year before the wedding Edward and I exchanged a few letters. He seemed nice enough from his letters so I thought we would learn to be happy together. I was also quite young and very naive."
"I can certainly sympathize with that," said Georgiana, thinking of Wickham, "When did you finally meet him?"
The countess lost herself in the memory as she spoke. "We met only two days before the wedding. I was so nervous. A part of me hated being forced into all of it, but what could I do? When I first saw him, I stopped breathing. He had dark brown hair and light blue eyes, the same as Margaret. He was by far the most handsome man of my acquaintance. We danced once or twice and hardly said two words to each other. He told me I was pretty." She laughed at the remembrance. "The next time we met we were being married."
Georgiana sat on the edge of her seat. "I cannot imagine how it must have felt to marry someone you hardly know. I am glad no one has arranged any marriage for me."
"It wasn't as bad as you would think. We did fall in love and a short time later I gave birth to our little girl. He was everything a girl could ever wish for in a husband. That is why I am so confused. If I loved him that much then why am I constantly thinking about Richard? It doesn't make any sense."
"Why is it so hard for you to understand?" asked Georgiana. "I think that if Edward loved you as much I think he did, then he wouldn't want you to be alone the rest of your life. I understand that you will always love your husband, but allowing yourself to love Richard will not make your love for Edward any less valid."
Abigail stared at her sister in disbelief. "How old are you again? You are definitely wise beyond your years, Georgiana."
She smiled widely. "You may find that I can be full of surprises."